Moong Dal Macher Matha Diye

Moong Dal Macher Matha Diye

Dal is every child’s nightmare. Whenever I serve dal to my children, they wrinkle their noses, make frowny faces, and detest it vehemently. But these protein powerhouses are also essential for a balanced diet, so I try my best to make dal dishes more exciting. Recently, I stumbled upon this Bengali recipe called Macher Matha Diye. What makes this dish stand out is that it makes use of the fish’s head (matha) rather than using it as a whole. And this juicy seasoned fish tastes magical when dunked in yellow moong dal. Usually Rohu or Katla fish is used to prepare the dish. The fish head is marinated with a spice mixture followed by deep-frying in a pan. The crispy fish should be cooked till it browns. I have used roasted moong dal in this recipe, as it gives a nice flavour. It tends to soak up a lot of water, so make sure that you boil it with sufficient amount of water. To ace this dish, a perfect balance should be maintained between the sweet and savoury flavours. This can be achieved by adding assorted spices, all of which can be added according to taste. The fish is cooked in dal on medium heat for a few minutes. The final touches are added in the form of a cumin seed (jeera) tempering. This Moong Dal with a twist is a refreshing change from the regular and tastes delicious with boiled rice. Macher Matha Diye is a sure-fire hit with the kids.